What You Can Count On: Kakuzu's Past
by RandomYori
Summary: Ever wonder how the 'Treasurer of Akatsuki' came to be? That's what this story is about.
1. Unknown Village - August 15, 1924

_[Author's Note:_

_Because Mr. Kishimoto never gave Kakuzu a flashback… Ok, he sort of did. Still, it was only one to explain how he became part of the Akatsuki. I'm talking about one that explains how he became the immortal bounty hunter he is today. He needs one._

_Therefore, I will use what I learned from the databook on him to make what's my theory of what his past was like. If you guys have different theories, I'm all ears. Mr. Kishimoto may have given Kakuzu a background story, but he never gave him a flashback to detail that story, so anything goes._

_Enjoy,_

_RandomYori]_

* * *

**Prologue**

**Unknown Village - August 15, 1924**

This was a time of depression. While only a few remain vastly fortunate, many suffer through poverty. Sadly, the vast majority of this small village slept with empty stomachs. While many endured, others never woke up again. Then we have the 5% got to fill their stomachs before bed. They were usually those of either royalty or even those of politics.

Being part of the 95%, a boy woke up the next morning yawning while his stomach harmonized with him. Today was supposed to be his seventh birthday, too. At the rate he and his family were going, he may never know what it's like to have a normal birthday. However, he never complained. He just got up, ate a piece of raw bread his mother provided, and headed out to work.

Back then, even children had to work to support their families. This boy was no exception. Every day until the sun would set, the boy would work 3-4 jobs. Sometimes he'd even take on more chores just for more pay. That's how his family managed to keep a roof over their heads even through these dark times. The funny thing is, he never saw it as a chore. It wasn't that he loved the work. In reality, he loved the pay. If offered better pay, he'd be more motivated to do the work. Money was his main motivation. He'd do whatever it took to make enough money to get him and his family out of poverty and become one of the 5%.

While looking for more jobs for more pay, he noticed a couple of wealthy men dining at the finest restaurant in the village. Their dishes looked so vibrant with color. He had never seen such color on food before. His stomach began to growl just from imagining what colorful food would taste like. He soon avoided contact with them after that. The last thing he wanted to be was a beggar. He had seen what would become of beggars. They eventually die out along with their dignities. He just continued searching for another job.

Eventually, the boy finally found one. This new job was to sell fish. It was probably the best paying job he had ever gotten, but it was also the most competitive one as well. Worst part was that he was never good with making public announcements. He was never the loud type. He'd always keep to himself. That's how you're supposed to behave if you want to survive in poverty. You basically have to keep your mouth shut and do the best you can to survive. Sadly, in this case, you have to run your mouth.

Seeing as how this could be his only chance of getting a decent job, he decided he'd go for it. The boy breathed in then shouted, "FISH! GET YOUR FISH RIGHT HERE! WE SELL COD, FLOUNDER, TROUT, SALMON, AND MORE!" The way he yelled that announcement made it seem like he was angry at everyone. It almost scared them away. Yeah, even he agreed that he's never going to do that again.

From the corner of his eye, the boy suddenly noticed another young man carrying a crate of fish. The boy only seemed to be in his preteens, not that much older than him. The boy watched as he noticed the teenager distract the customer with his products while another young man was picking his pockets. When the man left with his purchase, the boy saw as the two young man give each other a thumbs up. So they were working together, were they? If there was one thing this boy couldn't stand, it was punks like those two who give hard working citizens a bad name.

The boy then marched right up to those two delinquents and glared up at them. One of the teenagers took notice. He sneered back at him while the other one raised a brow to him. "What do you want, brat?" The one with the crate asked. "What you two doing is pitiful and you should be ashamed of yourselves." The boy answered, earning cackles as a response. "Oh, and what are you going to do? Cry to your mommy?" The one with the crate asked, making it painfully obvious that he was the dumb one of the two. The one who picked the pockets then grabbed the boy's face and knocked him onto his butt while trashing his crate of fish. "Beat it kid! This is our turf so we can do whatever we want because we're bigger, smarter, and stronger than you!" It was one thing to insult him, but to trash his only chance of making a decent living was unforgivable. That's when the boy lost his patience.

Getting back up, the boy proved just how wrong they really were. First thing he did was kick behind the leg from the punk who knocked him down. That same punk growled from both rage and pain. He was going to pay him back for that, but by the time he got to his knees, the boy used his elbow to give him an uppercut. Watching his friend lose consciousness thanks to some brat, the dumber one of the two became intimidated. When the boy's attention turned to him, the kid tensed up. He had never seen such piercing eyes that sent daggers to your very soul. They were practically saying, "You're next." Giving up, the punk quickly apologized, "Look, we're sorry, ok! Here take my crate!" He hoped that would make everything all right. Oh, he had no idea how wrong he was. He soon got the same treatment as his friend when the boy raised his foot up to knock down the teenager's crate with it. Now they were even on that part, but it wasn't enough. Not long after, the boy used his hand to chop right into the teen's stomach, bringing him to his knees as well. Then with one blow to the back of his head, he was knocked unconscious as well.

To make sure everything was made right, the boy picked one of their pockets to pull out the wallet they had stolen from that man. Tempted with curiosity, he looked inside. Never had he ever seen so many bills. Hell, he never even had the chance to see one bill so far in his lifetime. The temptation to take them all for himself and for his family was all too great, but then he remembered what his mother taught him. No, it was wrong. It was never his to take in the first place. Groaning and whining to himself, he finally made up his mind. He was reluctant at first, but soon enough, he finally decided to go looking for the owner. Who knows? He might even get a reward.

When he finally spotted the man, the boy ran up to him and stopped in front of him to block his path. The man, startled by the boy's sudden presence, stopped himself while cocking his brow, "What is it that you want, child? I don't have any change." The boy shook his head and said, "I'm not here to take your money, sir. I'm here to return it." Confused at first, everything was made clear when the boy held out a wallet to him. The man quickly checked his pockets to see that his own wallet was gone. This made him very curious. "And where exactly did you find my wallet, child?"

"Those two thieves took it from you while you weren't looking. You really should be careful with your money." The boy answered. So it was stolen, was it? This made the man even more curious. "Would you be so kind as to show me these thieves? I'll be sure to reward you for your services." He asked, kindly. He had that boy at 'reward'. Now more determined than ever, the boy led him straight to where they were.

They soon arrived to the scene of the crime. Good, those two punks were still unconscious. The man was surprised by this. There was no way just one small boy took down these two older kids. "…D-did you do this?"

"They had it coming."

"…I see…" Now the man was even more intrigued by the boy. For some dirty, poor boy, he really knew how to handle himself. He could use someone like him in the future. The man then knelt down and asked, "Young man, how would you like to train to become a ninja. You clearly have what it takes." This was not what the boy expected. Then again, judging by the man's uniform, he soon learned that this man was a ninja, himself. At that point, it made sense that he would make that offer. "What's in it for me?" the boy asked, getting straight to the point. The ninja didn't expect that kind of response from a child. Then again, this kid was probably only concerned about one main thing. "It pays better than selling fish. I can tell you that much." That was the ninja's answer. The boy was now interested in the offer. However, to become a ninja, he would have to leave his family behind. Well, all he had was his mother at this point, but that was still family to him.

Speaking of which, the boy soon noticed the time and realized that he was almost late. "I'll think about it." That was all he said before he took off running home. The ninja was surprised by this answer, however, he couldn't let a rare opportunity like this pass. How often would there be a chance of raising a young ninja into becoming an elite killing machine? Hardly any in those times. Most of the children were either too weak or not fit to be a ninja at all. This boy may be from a poor background, but he wasn't weak, and those were rare.

Following the boy, the ninja finally made it to a small shack where he stopped. While he watched, he saw that it was the boy's birthday. He had just turned eight. He was that young? He seemed older. He watched as his mother tried her best to make his birthday the best that she could. He then watched as the boy presented the money he had earned to his mother, only for the mother to close his hands. She was gesturing him to keep it. Noticing her weak condition and how violently she coughed, the ninja could tell that she would not last long. She was probably doing what any good mother would do in her situation, make the child come first in everything. While this was a noble thing to do, no good would ever come of it. The ninja then decided he'd let them to have their family moment and left. He'd try again tomorrow.

* * *

**The Next Morning...**

The boy woke up to yet another empty stomach. Performing his daily routine, he stopped to notice a change in that routine. His mother was still sleeping. She was coughing worse than ever last night. She needed the sleep. Deciding not to bother her, he grabbed a small piece of bread and headed out to seek more jobs.

While on duty, the boy thought about the ninja's offer. While he'd be leaving his mother alone, perhaps he could finally afford the medicine she desperately needed to cure her ailments. Perhaps he should take the offer, after all. Making up his mind, he ran all over town in search of the ninja. All day he had been searching, but with no luck in the end.

By the time the sun was setting, the boy knew that it was time to go home. Entering his house, not only was he sad that he didn't find that ninja from yesterday, but he was also sad for a different reason. He made less money than he did yesterday. Moping while entering the house, he noticed that none of the candles were lit. He took it upon himself to light each one. "Mother?" He asked, wondering if she was all right. When he finally found her, she was still in bed. Had she been sleeping all day? "Hey, mother, are you all right?" He asked as he reached for her. He let out a small gasp when he realized how cold she was. "…Mother…?" He asked, slowly turning her onto her back. She wasn't breathing. Everything around him grew silent. His body felt numb. He could no longer feel her cold shoulder in the palm of his hand. His eyes grew heavy. The boy knew now. He no longer had a family.

There was a knock at the door, but he couldn't even hear that. He couldn't even feel the hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry…" A voice spoke, but he couldn't hear that, either. When the voice tried to pull him away from his dead mother, the boy's grip instinctively grew tighter. It took minutes before he finally heard the phrase, "Let her go." The boy finally snapped out of his shock and slowly turned around. It was that ninja, the one he was looking for. "How did you…?"

"It's what I do best… Listen… my offer still stands. Have you thought about it?" Was this even the appropriate time to be asking about such things? The boy had thought about it before, but his idea was so that he could afford to help his mother regain her health. Now that she was gone, what was the point of trying? Still, what would be the point of saying no now? He had nowhere else to go anymore. Who'd take in a stray like him?

"… I'll go with you… This better be worth my time…" That was his final decision, as cold as it sounded. The ninja understood and said, "Very well then." He then called for backup to retrieve the boy's dead mother. That way they could give her a proper burial. He knew that the boy wouldn't be able to do so himself. "By the way, I never got your name."

"…Kakuzu…"


	2. Unknown Village - March 25, 1932

_[Author's Note:_

_Yes, this is going to be a chapter story. Why? Because where's the fun in making it just a short story?_

_Enjoy,_

_RandomYori_

_P.S._

_Everything was proofread before I posted this chapter.]_

* * *

**Unknown Village - March 25, 1932**

The spring that year was easier on the villagers than most of the past 6 years. However, people were still dying. Even if they could pull themselves out of depression, there was no way they could go back to their normal lives. The land had become infertile. It could no longer provide the nourishment the village needed to survive. That was part of the reason why such depression had struck them. It was a time of famine. The only way they could have any food was if they made trades with other villages, but only very few could afford that luxury.

Now becoming part of the 5%, the boy grew into a healthy young man. Every day, he would train with his master to become a better ninja. His master was fortunate to have found an apprentice who took direction very well, and Kakuzu was a very loyal apprentice as well. Not once had he ever questioned him nor had he ever provided regrets.

Today they were training specifically in Taijutsu. As always, Kakuzu would never disappoint. Therefore, his master decided he'd try something different. Even if he announced they were only learning taijutsu, he decided to sneak in a fire style technique. Caught off guard by this, Kakuzu quickly lunged his body to the left to avoid the jutsu. Next thing he knew, his master was right behind him. Given no time to react, Kakuzu was knocked to the ground.

Growling from irritation, Kakuzu managed to at least get on one knee before he sneered, "I thought we were only learning Taijutsu today."

"That was only a ploy to test you. Seeing as how you somewhat failed the test, it's time for your next lesson." His master said as he held out his hand to help the boy up. Kakuzu took his hand, but instead of being helped up, he was only tossed into the air, hitting his back against a tree before he fell onto his stomach. "Never take your eyes off of the enemy and never assume what their next move would be. Always expect the unexpected." He stated, offering Kakuzu his hand again. Instead of being greeted with his hand in return, Kakuzu's master was greeted with a water technique from Kakuzu. The wave crashed down on his master, forcing him onto his back while Kakuzu got back up and dusted himself off. "That's for throwing me into a tree." He stated with a smirk. Blinking for a moment, his master suddenly began to laugh. Kakuzu couldn't help but laugh with him. No matter how rough they trained, they still had fun either way.

* * *

**That Night…**

Ever since he began training with his master, Kakuzu never had to worry about jobs again. As a ninja, although he usually got C and B ranked jobs, the pay was still better than any other job he ever had as a child. Because of that, he no longer cared about jobs that would pay less. Even today, the more money he would earn would determine his motivation to do the job.

Today was a special treat though. For the first time, his master decided to take him to the finest restaurant in the village. Kakuzu had only dreamed of eating here, and now that dream was coming true. Taking a seat, they each looked at a menu. Kakuzu examined the menu as if it was a map to a foreign country. He didn't know what to order because he never had anything from this menu before. Noticing this, his master asked him, "Need more time?"

"I don't even know what most of these are." Kakuzu answered, earning a chuckle from his master. His master had just remembered that Kakuzu was a stray before he took him on to be his apprentice. A waiter then came up to them and asked what they would like to order. Kakuzu's master turned to the waiter and responded with, "We'll both have liver sashimi, monkfish liver, and chestnut jelly for dessert." Kakuzu's left eye twitched to that. Liver in general sounded like it would be disgusting.

Once their plates arrived, Kakuzu and his master pulled apart their chopsticks to dig in. However, while his master was enjoying his meal, Kakuzu was hesitant to touch it. The best he could do was poke at the liver sashimi with his chopsticks. His master noticed this and said, "Just try it, already. It's not going to bite."

"It looks raw. Is this even sanitary to eat?"

"Gee, Kakuzu, I thought you didn't like to waste money." His master said, purposefully guilt-tripping Kakuzu into eating his food. Now Kakuzu felt like he had to eat it or else this would be a waste of money. Reluctant at first, Kakuzu slowly brought one slice of the liver sashimi to his mouth and began chewing on it. It… surprisingly tasted really good. In fact, he enjoyed it so much that within seconds, the plate was empty. Now it was time to try the monkfish liver. If it was anything like the liver sashimi, then he'd wolf that down too. After taking one bite, he realized it was almost better than the liver sashimi. He really couldn't decide which he liked more. His master smiled and said, "See? It's good right?"

Kakuzu just nodded and turned his attention to the chestnut jelly. He never had dessert before, but he did hear good things about them. Taking one bite of the chestnut jelly, he was surprised by how sweet it was. He had never had sweets before in his life. Although, it was too sweet even for him, sickeningly sweet even. He really didn't want to waste the money though, so he took another bite. Noticing the disgusted look on his face, his master smiled and said, "I'll eat it if you don't want it." Kakuzu pushed the plate over to his master while he forcefully swallowed the bite he had in his mouth. "You don't like it, do you?"

"It's not my favorite."

Paying for the check, Kakuzu's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw the price. The chestnut jelly was the most expensive order?! It wasn't even that good! On top of that, they even had leftovers of that ridiculous gelatin.

On their way out, they caught a scene across the street. A small boy was begging for money, food, whatever he could get from one of the ninjas of the village. It got to the point where the fat ninja knocked the defenseless boy to the ground and told him to go away. Next thing he knew, Kakuzu watched as his master used a fire style jutsu to light that ninja's rear end on fire. The ninja took off running around the village. His more fit twin tried to help with his wind style jutsu, but that only fueled the fire. It wasn't until another ninja who had accompanied them used his water style to soak the ninja in water and put out the fire.

In the meantime, Kakuzu's master gave that poor boy the leftovers from the chestnut jelly they had earlier. Kakuzu was surprised by that. He had to ask, "Why are you giving in to a beggar?"

"Kakuzu, I'm surprised at you. That boy could have been you if you had no one to count on." Kakuzu glared up at him and clicked his tongue, "I would have been able to manage on my own. That is why you're training me, isn't it?"

"Indeed, but don't be arrogant about it. Arrogance like that will only lead to your demise," His master reminded him. Kakuzu kept his mouth shut after that. He then turned to see that same ninja from before return, only this time, he wasn't alone. "What the hell was that for, Ryutaro?!" The one whose bottom was burned yelled to Kakuzu's master, who was also known as Ryutaro. Ryutaro only cocked a brow at him and asked, "You really don't know? Ask the boy you just knocked over, Takashi."

"That pest wouldn't go away! What did you expect me to do?!"

"I expected you to at least be polite about it. I know how greedy you are with your food."

"Agreed. I mean, honestly, brother. You could stand to lose a few pounds." Takashi's twin, Tadashi, commented. Joining alongside them, Gengyo bopped both Takashi and Tadashi on the head. "How many times do I need to tell you two to stay out of trouble?" Both twins rubbed their heads as they both apologized. Ryutaro only chuckled, knowing these twins very well. Kakuzu looked up at him with curious eyes and asked, "You know these guys, Ryutaro-sama?" Ryutaro nodded and answered, "These are my companions. We've come together today because we have big plans for this village. Which reminds me, Gengyo, where is Yunosuke?"

"He's on his way. He simply needed to bring a few more geographical blueprints with him." Geographical blueprints? This sounded serious. This made Kakuzu even more curious, but he kept quiet just so that he could continue to listen and see what he could gather from this. Finally, their final member had arrived. He was carrying so many scrolls that he even dropped a few of them. Kakuzu offered to help pick them up for them but as he reached for the one that had 'Forbidden' on it, Gengyo gripped Kakuzu's wrist tightly, nearly crushing it. Ryutaro didn't even step in to do anything. It was as if he was afraid of Gengyo or something. "That's not for you to touch, boy." Gengyo spoke with such a cold tone. Kakuzu didn't even whimper though, he only glared as he tore his hand away from the water user. "Hey, cut the kid some slack. He was only offering to help." Ryutaro at least managed to say in Kakuzu's defense. Gengyo glared at him then glared back at Kakuzu and said, "We don't need 'his' help." Kakuzu knew exactly what that meant. What Gengyo really meant to say was, "We don't need help from a stray mutt like him." Just for that, Kakuzu attempted to attack Gengyo, only to be held down by the others, including Ryutaro. It would seem that Gengyo was the leader of this pack. He'd have to remember that.

Once he calmed down, they finally let Kakuzu go. Takashi groaned and said, "Damn, for a kid, he's pretty strong. What are you feeding him, Ryutaro?"

"Whatever it is, that's what you should be eating instead of all the junk you eat." Tadashi commented, earning a glare from Takashi as he yelled, "Shut up, Tadashi!" Ryutaro just sighed before he turned to Kakuzu and warned him, "Don't ever try to challenge Gengyo again. You'll live to regret it. He's got power in high places." Kakuzu didn't care if this guy was king of the village. He wasn't going to take any crap from him. Still, he'll try to control his temper only because his master said so. "Fine." He growled. Tadashi turned to the 15-year old then commented to Ryutaro, "I'd still keep an eye out for this one if I were you. This one looks really mean. He'd probably bite the hand that feeds him if given the chance." For that, Kakuzu turned his glare to Tadashi, intimidating him a bit. Ryutaro only laughed and said, "Nah, don't worry about it. That's just how he looks all the time." Kakuzu really didn't like this at all. He felt like a child around a bunch of old people. Well, technically they were all in their late 40's or 50's and he was in his teens, so that analogy didn't stray far from the truth.

Yunosuke, peaking through the piles of scrolls he was holding, suddenly said to him, "Thank you for your help. It was still very kind of you. Don't ever lose that quality." Kakuzu didn't expect that from any of them. Looks like Yunosuke was the nice one, but that also made him out to be the weakest one of the group. He wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad quality on his part. The curiosity of what was going on was finally getting to him, so Kakuzu had to ask, "Why do you need all of these scrolls?" Ryutaro was actually glad he asked. He then pulled one of them off of the pile that Yunosuke was carrying and opened one of them. "This is why." He said, revealing the blueprints of a giant tree surrounded by water that leads to a waterfall. Near this tree was a village. "This will be our new home, and our new hope. We call it… Takigakure." Our new home? So they plan to move everyone to that land and abandon this one? Kakuzu grew silent. It was a reasonable plan, but he still didn't like it. He turned and walked away. "Hey, where is he going?"

"Leave him be, Yunosuke. I'll go talk to him." Ryutaro said, knowing exactly where Kakuzu was going.

Soon enough, Ryutaro finally caught up to Kakuzu, but kept his distance from him. He decided he'd only watch for now. As expected, Kakuzu was visiting his mother's grave. He wouldn't try to talk to her or bring her flowers. All he'd do was stand there, as if to communicate to her telepathically. Ryutaro often wondered what he'd talk to her about, but today, he knew what the topic was.

"I know you're there, Ryutaro-sama. Stop hiding and show your face like a man." Kakuzu stated without even turning from his position. Ryutaro took that as a hint to stop hiding and approach him. "Still not ready to let go of her yet?" What kind of question was that? Even to this day, he still remembered waking up every day to his mother wishing him a good morning. He even remembered what life was like before the depression struck. He may have been so small, but he still remembered. His mother was the only family he had, the only one he could count on. When he turned six, he literally had to become the man of the house, and the depression didn't help at all. Watching his mother's health slowly deteriorate because of that was painful, but even then he worked as hard as he could just so that they could survive. The day he found his mother dead in bed was a big wake up call. Not only did he lose his mother, the only one he could count on, but this was also a message telling him that he failed to support the both of them. He felt guilt every day because of that. That's why he wasn't ready to let go.

Ryutaro understood that Kakuzu missed his mother, but he also felt that Kakuzu needed to let go of her. If not, then he'd never be able to have a future. Ryutaro gave Kakuzu a serious look this time and said, "You have two options. You either let her go and come live with us in our new village or you can live out the rest of your days alone in this wasteland of a village."

"You expect me to just abandon her here? You know, there are times when you may seem like a saint, but there are also other times when you can easily come off as someone who's heartless."

"Listen, I get it. You miss her, but you have to move on. It's been six years already. Think about what your mother would have wanted. She wouldn't have wanted you to end up like her. That's why she chose to sacrifice her life for you. She did it so that you could survive." Ryutaro stated, as if demanding that Kakuzu would stop acting so childish. For someone who had to grow up at such a young age, it would seem that he still wasn't fully grown. He was being a brat. Normally, he'd act all tough but when it came to this subject, he was practically a child about it.

Kakuzu really didn't want to let go, but at the same time, Ryutaro-sama had a point. His mother died to make sure he was well fed and taken care of. It was probably why he had the strength to take on those jobs in the first place. He gripped the tombstone, feeling how cold it was. He remembered when he wouldn't let go of his dead mother's shoulder. He cringed as he struggled, but finally, he managed to let go and took a few steps back. He then turned to his master, giving him the usual glare before he said, "Let's go."

Glad to have finally convinced him, they left the graveyard and met up with the rest of the ninjas. Altogether, except for Kakuzu, they made the public announcement to the village about Takigakure. Everyone cheered in response. It was as if hope had flooded the village and washed away the depression. It took another year or two, but eventually, everyone began evacuating the old village to live in Takigakure. For once in an awfully long time, everyone was filled with hope.


	3. Takigakure - June 5, 1948

**Takigakure - June 5, 1948**

After many years, Takigakure was finally established. Everyone had long since evacuated from their previous village and moved into their new home, their new hope. Overtime, poverty was but a bad dream. If any were poor, it would only be because they chose their fate. Children no longer had to work to support their families. They could finally enjoy the childhood they never got to have back in the old ruins. Here in this new village, everyone was happy. Some even celebrated every night because of that. However, it wasn't enough for some.

To prevent another disaster, no matter the type, the village elders always reviewed every possible outcomes that could occur. Strict laws were created to ensure the security they would need for said outcomes. For example, every ninja must be highly disciplined. If any ninja were to fail a mission, then they would suffer great shame and so much more, so failure was not an option. For this reason, those who have failed were either beaten, tortured, imprisoned, or executed. Depending on the mission, failures would either suffer one, some, or all of these consequences.

Not all of the village elders agreed to these terms, but they also feared the one who did, Fuchida Gengyo. He was also known as the "Village Elder of Water". Alongside him were the following: Ishio Yunosuke, "Village Elder of Earth"; Kusonoki Tadashi, "Village Elder of Wind"; Kusonoki Takashi, "Village Elder of Lightning"; and last but not least, Yamamura Ryutaro, "Village Elder of Fire".

Now in their senior years, the once strong ninja who saved their village people now governed them with such strict laws. Sure, everyone was better off than before, but if one were to break just one rule, they would suffer severe consequences. That's why everyone would strive for excellence, to be sure to stay on good terms with the village elders. This also included the ninja of Takigakure.

Being one of their most elite was the Village Elder of Fire's very own star pupil, Kakuzu. Not once had he ever disappointed his superiors. He was loyal and would always complete his task, no questions asked. Every now and then, he would try to collect bounty off of his opponents. Sometimes he would even make something off of them. That's how he was raised, after all. In this new village, the once poor boy had grown to become a very rich man. He was finally part of the 5%, and life had been good ever since. At least, it had been so far.

Watching Kakuzu counting his money from a distance, three of the village elders talked amongst one another. They were looking for someone to take on a very important mission and so far, they had their eyes set on Kakuzu. "He has shown a lot of potential over the years. I think he can handle this mission."

"That may be true, Yunosuke, but that greed of his does concern me. Are you sure he'll be able to remain vigilant?"

"Greed? What are you talking about, Tadashi? Not only does he do his job better than anyone, but thanks to him, this village is always prosperous."

"Of course you would say that, Takashi. Your gut definitely prospers from the wealth he provides for this village."

"Hey!"

"Enough bickering, everyone." A voice came from down the hall of the palace. Everyone turned to see that it was the old master himself, Ryutaro. Yunosuke noticed the serious look on his face and grew concerned. "Is everything all right, Ryutaro?" He asked him. Ryutaro turned to Yunosuke and said, "It's Gengyo. He says that there will be an emergency meeting at once. We're going to discuss who we will send to Konohagakure." The three village elders were surprised. They were having this meeting now? This must have been a very urgent case. They weren't supposed to decide until next week at the very least. They all understood and nodded before following Ryutaro to the meeting room.

* * *

**Meanwhile...**

On his daily routine, Kakuzu would visit the local library. Even though there was a book store closer to his home, it was cheaper to simply rent books. He was particularly interested in the old and rare ones.

Some of them were even salvaged from the old village, including a story book that his mother once read to him. It was tattered, barely held together with stitches, but the words were still clear. It was as if the words were engraved in his memories more than anything.

Of course, nowadays, he'd try his best to avoid any sentiments left of his past. It was best not to let them cloud his judgment, especially with the new laws in this village. The less heart he had, the better ninja he would become. That is why he would always be strict and self-kept, himself.

From the distance, he could hear someone struggling. Curious, he turned around and saw a small girl trying to reach for a book two shelves taller than her. It was pathetic to watch this kid's futile attempts to nab the book she wanted. Did it really have to be the one in the higher shelves? Still, it was amusing to watch her try her very best.

The show soon escalated to danger when the girl tried to climb the book shelf to reach for the book. He'd let her fall and land on her butt just to teach her a lesson in stupidity, but he knew that she could get in serious trouble if she ended up toppling the shelves as if they were dominos. Therefore, he decided to reach for the book while she still had one foot on one shelf. And her fingers nearly grazed it, too.

Examining the book, he cringed at the title, "Cooking with Red Bean Paste". "All of that drama was for some insignificant cook book…?" He thought out loud, only to have the book snatched from his hands. He then heard the response, "Hey! This is the only one I can find for red bean paste, so it is "significant"!" He just turned to the little girl who was glaring up at him. Tch, for a shrimp, she's got spunk. He'd have none of that. "What a surprise. You know what big words mean, especially at your stature?" The girl gawked to this then exploded with fire in her eyes as she yelled, "Hey ever thought that maybe I'm not short and you're just a giant?!"

"Thanks, I'll take that as a compliment." He answered, which enraged her even more. Before she could make a snappy comeback, though, she was immediately warned by the librarian, "Either shush or get out! I will not tolerate this behavior from anyone, especially children!" That upset her even more, "But I'm not a child! I'm 23!" _Wait? This kid is an adult?_ Kakuzu thought to himself. He had assumed she was still a child, seeing as how her height only reached just an inch above his elbow. Also, the way she dressed only made it worse. The pink braids didn't help, either.

"Your age does not concern me, either you rent a book silently or you leave my library! I am sick of you causing trouble every time you try to rent a book, Hana."

"Fine, I'll leave, but let me rent this book first…" She said, finally in defeat. It would seem that this girl, now known as Hana, had always caused trouble in this library. How had Kakuzu not noticed before? Then again, he usually visits the library during the day, but this time, it is the night. Perhaps it is normal for the weirdos to come out at this hour.

After that incident, Kakuzu decided it was no longer worth his time, rented his book, and headed back home for the night. He had someone back home waiting on him, anyways. Despite trying not to be sentimental, he was still a man. Waiting for him was a lady friend of his, Ai. She was perfect in almost every way. She had perfect hair, perfect skin, even her ruby eyes were perfect. She looked almost like Kakuzu's mother. Sure, Ai did have the tendency to tease, but that was just one of her perks.

Once he finally made it home, Ai greeted Kakuzu with a warm embrace from behind. "Back at this hour? You're not hiding another lover from me, are you?" She teased. Kakuzu just chuckled in response. "Nah, just some hot-headed midget with a soft spot for red bean paste." He answered, returning the favor. Ai cocked a brow to this and asked, "Really? What does this 'hot-headed midget' have that I don't have?"

"Pink braids and a temper tantrum every time someone calls her short." He answered, turning around to wrap an arm around her waist as they both laughed. A thought then crossed Ai as she said, "Oh! I think I know who you're talking about. Does she go by the name, Hana, or something like that?"

"Something like that." He answered while he led the both of them to bed. Ai then started cackling to herself. "That shrimp?! Oh man, no wonder you're home late. I bet she made a scene at the library, didn't she?"

"Apparently, it's become tradition in that library." He stated, crawling into bed with her. Ai only chuckled more before adding, "Even back in the old village, she would cause trouble on the streets. People would only give her money out of pity."

"Wait, are you suggesting that girl was a beggar back in the old village?"

"The worst kind. She would have her little brothers and sisters stand by her just to make people feel terrible if they don't give them money." Ai answered, leaving Kakuzu with a greater cringe on the bridge of his nose. It was people like Hana who disgusted him. Even now, she's acting like a damn brat.

At that point, he didn't even want to talk anymore. All he wanted to do was get some rest. He had an assignment tomorrow, anyways. However, the next time he sees Hana, he planned to teach her a lesson in responsibility. It was people like her who ruined his old home. He wasn't going to let people like her ruin this one.

* * *

**The Next Day…**

Today's mission was simple. All Kakuzu had to do was assassinate some feudal lord who was behind on his debt to the Village Elders, and his pay was far from overdue. To "collect the payment that was due", the Village Elders sent Kakuzu.

In his lush bedroom, the feudal lord was sending his company out for the day. He was almost in his late forties, but his most distinguishing feature was a tattoo of a lotus flower that he had on his throat.

When he finally realized it, he turned to the corner of his eye and saw a man with his face covered. He was just sitting there with his arms crossed, as if waiting for him to finally notice. By the time the feudal lord did, he got on his knees, begging for his life. That only gave more reason for Kakuzu to want him dead, so he slit his throat, letting him bleed on the floor like the pig he was.

Once it was over, he cashed in the bounty that the feudal lord had on his head before heading to the village head's residence. As proof of his success, Kakuzu presented a pendant to the Village elders. This particular pendant was worn only by village lords. Because the pendant was unique for every lord, three out of the five village elders accepted it as sufficient evidence. However, the other two had their doubts.

"Where is the body?" Gengyo asked Kakuzu as he leered towards him. Kakuzu's only response, was tossing a case full of money towards them. "I thought this village could use some more funds. We wouldn't want another great depression to occur." Kakuzu retorted. He knew from the beginning that Gengyo hated him. To Kakuzu, the feelings were mutual. That was why he rubbed that retort in his face. Kakuzu would always find ways to make his distaste for Gengyo very apparent.

Even though Tadashi did not exactly hate Kakuzu as much as Gengyo did, he still did not appreciate the fact that Kakuzu let his greed get the better of him. "That may be so, but how do we know you did not simply tear off the pendant from his neck and collect that bounty from another?" Tadashi pointed out. Kakuzu simply pulled out a piece of flesh as a response. On it was a lotus tattoo, the very same that the lord had on his neck. Normally, this would not suffice either, but if this much of the flesh was torn from his throat, then there was no way that he could have survived afterwards. Some of the elders were disgusted by the sight. Takashi almost lost his lunch the moment he saw that dead piece of meat.

Now that they were unanimously convinced, Gengyo decided to make an announcement. "Kakuzu, because of your success, it has been confirmed that you are most definitely suited for this great assignment."

"Great assignment? What's so great about it?"

"It's an assassination attempt similar to the one you've completed, only the bounty on this target is far greater than five lords together." Tadashi implied, striking Kakuzu's interest. "Then tell me, who's the cash cow I will be assigned to deliver?"

"Your target is the First Hokage and you will start tomorrow. Know this, with a great reward also comes a great penalty. If you fail this mission, you will pay dearly." Ryutaro warned Kakuzu, as he always would. Kakuzu just scoffed, feeling as though his former master was merely patronizing him. He then turned and left without saying a word. While most of the village elders prayed for his success, Gengyo felt like sending him out to assassinate the First Hokage was a mistake. Still, if he did return a failure, at least that rat will be rid of once and for all.

* * *

**Later on that day...**

Kakuzu decided to spend his free time cashing in his money into his banking account. Afterwards, he would return all of the books he had rented before leaving the village. He didn't want to have to pay for overdue books.

As if on cue, there was Hana, passing by the local library while munching on something that looked like a deformed dumpling with sesame seeds on it. She had the rest of them in a basket in which she held by her arm. Kakuzu was already upset because of the pathetic display from that feudal lord earlier, but seeing her now and after hearing what he did from Ai, he just had to take his anger out on her.

While she was a safe distance away from civilization, Kakuzu confronted her. Hana, immediately recognized him and said, "Oh hey, you're that giant from yesterday. Thanks for the book. It really helped." Kakuzu just glared down at her before cringing at the monstrosity she claimed to be her cooking. "This… is helping?"

"Hm? What's that supposed to mean?" Hana asked him. He just bluntly answered, "Is that even edible?"

"First it's my height and now my cooking too?! You're so rude, you know that! I thought giants were supposed to be friendly, like in the fairy-tales!" Her insults returned Kakuzu back to his state of mind as he glared down at her and sneered, "Hmph, pretty big talk, coming from a pathetic worm like you."

Normally, Hana would have been even more agitated, but this time was different. She was shocked, but not by the insult, but by the change in his tone. He didn't seem to be simply bullying her this time. This time, it sounded like he was out for blood. That's when Hana noticed the kunai in Kakuzu's hand. Hana slowly backed away and chuckled in fear while holding out one of those deformed treats she had baked, "Hey, you want some?"

That night, Ai was drinking tea while waiting on Kakuzu to return home. Once he did, she noticed the blood on his hands. "Back from a mission?" She assumed, but Kakuzu didn't even say a word. Instead, he just bathed himself and got into bed. Ai was not in the least bit surprised by this response. It was typical of him to act this way whenever he was in a foul mood. Luckily, she knew exactly how to calm him down.

Crawling into bed with him, she carefully placed his head on her chest and stroked his hair. Apparently, this was what Kakuzu's mom used to do to comfort him. Just like that, he was fast asleep. It was surprisingly easy to ease this beast. You just had to know the right way to do it.

* * *

**The Next Morning…**

On his way to the Village Gate, he saw a crime scene nearby. It was Hana. Last night, she had been killed. From the rumors he heard, she was stabbed, but that wasn't the cause of death. What truly killed her was a broken neck. Someone gripped her throat so tightly that it snapped in two. Kakuzu did not have any single remorse for the dead flower. She was just a pathetic beggar girl, anyways. Besides, he had a mission to complete.

Just before he left, he heard another rumor floating around, "The poor thing, now who's going to take care of her daughter, Anko?" Wait… Hana was a mother? He turned around the moment he heard screams coming from a child. He then saw it was a little girl, only 8 years old. She had carmine hair tied in the same braids her mother had, only she had shorter bangs and wore a pair of glasses. The little girl started quite a scene as she was screaming for her mother. Kakuzu may have hated beggars, but seeing that girl scream for her mother reminded him of when he lost his own.

Trying to ignore it, he assumed that the daughter will simply stay with one of her aunts or uncles. Ai did say that Hana had younger siblings. Then again, people were questioning who would look after Anko. Did Ai… lie to him? He shrugged it off and decided to deal with it later. For now, he had a "great assignment" to attend to.


	4. Konohagakure - June 30, 1948

_[Author's Note:_

_ For the fight scene between Kakuzu and the First Hokage, I role-played with my friend, RisingDemon1. He played as the First Hokage while I played as Kakuzu, but again, only for the fight scene._

_Enjoy!]_

* * *

**Konohagakure – June 30, 1948**

It took almost a month, but eventually, Kakuzu finally arrived to Konohagakure. To keep from being suspected, he concealed himself with his mask and hid amongst the crowd of visitors from other hidden villages. The ninja of Konohagakure only assumed that he was just another foreign ninja in need of food and shelter, so they welcomed him. After all, during this era, the First Hokage's life had yet to be threatened.

Part of Kakuzu's plan to remain unnoticed was to avoid as much social contact as possible. Keeping to himself was the easy part, but the real challenge was that the people in this village were very friendly. The locals here behaved as though they were family. He could barely even enjoy his tea without the waitress telling him about her life story. She wouldn't stop repeating the same "legendary ramen story" over and over again. He was somewhat tempted to run a kunai through her throat just to shut her up. Unfortunately, he knew it was in his best interest not to do so. Last thing he needed was to cause a scene.

Once he finished his tea, Kakuzu spotted the First Hokage heading towards his office. Good, now he knew where to wait for him till nightfall. Of course, even at night, this village would not be the best scenery for battle. There were too many obstacles in the way. He would have to somehow lure the First Hokage to a more desolate setting.

According to the information that was provided by the Village Elders, the First Hokage possessed a unique jutsu known only to the Senju clan, the wood style jutsu. Kakuzu was familiar with other types of jutsu, so this would be his main challenge. This target of his seemed to be full of challenges. Still, Kakuzu relished in that. Killing for an honest pay was one thing, but when it came to strong shinobi, earning the rewards would feel much more valuable. That is why he was more than willing to accept the offer. Not only was the pay worth it, but so was the challenge.

Paying his bill, Kakuzu avoided tipping the waitress and left. For now, he would act as though he was merely browsing through market stalls and reading random books from here and there. Of course, he never bought anything. He would only continue to wander around town until nightfall, when everyone would be in bed.

While looking around in random market areas, he noticed that a little boy had tripped. The boy then began to wail like a pathetic little worm. It annoyed him that children in this village were so spoiled. He didn't act this way as a child. Then again, he didn't have much of a childhood to begin with. What irked him even more was that the parents came to the brat's rescue instead of disciplining him for his foolishness. Kakuzu knew that if he had behaved this way with his mother, then she wouldn't have lasted as long as she did. Thinking about it, his mother actually did spoil him, and that was what killed her. He balled his hands into fists as they shook, ready to hit anything in its path. Still, instead of doing so, he simply grunted and tried to block the thoughts from his mind. He was supposed to be focused on the mission, after all.

* * *

**That Night…**

After hours of sight-seeing, everything was finally closed and everyone was finally in their beds, well, almost everyone. The last one to leave his office was the First Hokage. He had plenty of papers to complete that night. Normally, he would have headed home by now, but instead, he chose to visit the training grounds nearby. This was rather convenient for those who intended to visit him in private.

He remembered what it was like when he was just a student, learning from his father. Now his children have children of their own. The First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, was excited to finally be a grandfather. Knowing himself well, he'd probably end up spoiling them. He laughed to himself at the thought of that. He even pictured an idea of his grandchildren training on these grounds. He would want to see them grow up to be strong shinobi, but whether that is their path or not, he would still be proud of them either way.

His laughing was soon cut short when he pulled out a kunai and quickly turned to block the kunai from his attacker. As the dark figure pulled back, the moonlight illuminated him, revealing his headband to be that of Takigakure. Judging by that, it could only mean one thing. "I was wondering when you assassins would show up, assuming that is why you're here." Hashirama called out. Seeing as how the First Hokage wasn't a complete imbecile, Kakuzu answered, "Good eye. Yes, that is precisely why I am here."

"In that case, let's make one thing clear…" Hashirama paused for a moment to prepare for battle. He finally finished with, "I am not going down without a fight." Amused by this, Kakuzu prepared for battle as well, but before making his next move, he stated, "If you're prepared, there won't be any sorrow." Kakuzu decided it would be wise to wait for Hashirama's attack. He had never fought against a kage before, so the last thing he needed to do was to charge in head strong, especially under these circumstances. One of Ryutaro's greatest lessons was to know one's enemy before battle, after all.

Hashirama just lowered his kunai a bit whilst waiting for the figure to attack. After a few seconds Hashirama started to tap his left foot on the ground. "Isn't it normal for the assassin to take the initiative?" He said, deadpanning. He knew that it wouldn't be long before the assassinations would start, but at least he expected the first one to be somewhat active.

Kakuzu simply grunted to that. If that's how he wanted to play his cards, then so be it. Kakuzu then aimed his kunai for Hashirama's forehead and threw it as a distraction to lunge his fists straight into the First Hokage's gut. Just because he was a kage didn't mean that he would give him any special treatment. In fact, just for good measure, Kakuzu gave Hashirama an uppercut with the elbow from the opposite arm. He didn't supply any snappy comebacks as the First Hokage did. He simply stood there and asked, "Now will you prove yourself worthy of the title, Hokage?"

Hashirama cracked his neck, swaying his head from one side to the other. _Those punches had decent strength behind it. This might get interesting._ He looked towards his opponent with a stern look this time. Hashirama lowered his stance, his left foot up front and his kunai ready.

Neglecting the kunai on the ground, Kakuzu pulled out another one from behind him. He too was ready for what was to come. _Well, at least he seems to be able to hold his own so far. Let's see how much he can take._ He thought to himself as he slid to the left to attack from Hashirama's side, kunai aiming for the jugular vein.

Hashirama blocked the kunai, putting some power behind it and trying to keep them in a deadlock. He just looked the assailant in the eye. "I look that easy to you, huh?" His tone turned cold.

Kakuzu returned the gaze and remained focused on the fight. No more distractions. No more games. It was about time that he fought the way he should against a kage. Swiftly, he swung his left foot towards his opponent as an attempt to knock him down. He then leaped backwards and took note that there was a stream nearby, perfect. Seizing the opportunity, he formed a few hand signs before shouting, "Earth Style: Mud Silhouette!" A wave of mud then rose from the stream and headed straight for Hashirama.

Dodging the kick, Hashirama looked on as the assailant dashed back and formed hand signs. Forming hand signs as well, he shouted "Wood Style: Wood Locking Wall!" Wooden pillars suddenly appeared left and right from the ground, joining together as a dome to protect Hashirama from the wave of mud. He then dashed towards the assailant and threw a barrage of attack, attempting to slow him down.

Drawing his sword now, Kakuzu blocked Hashirama's strikes. So far, he's only managed to receive a cut on his left shoulder. It was merely a surface wound, so it wasn't enough to slow him down. He simply brushed it off and lunged towards the First Hokage with one elbow back and the tip of the blade gliding closer to the target's heart.

Trying to distract the assailant, it didn't long before Hashirama was stabbed through the chest, only to reveal that he was merely a wood clone. However, that was all the time Hashirama needed. "Wood Style: Wood Dragon Jutsu!" he exclaimed. The wood dragon rammed through the dome, heading straight for the assailant with Hashirama standing on the dragon, his sword at the ready.

By the time he realized it, Kakuzu wasn't able to dodge the blade. Leaping back, the blade managed to run through his right shoulder. He groaned as a result of the pain. This was a deep cut, unlike the nick on his left shoulder. _So this is wood style, huh?_ Kakuzu processed. If only he knew a bit of fire style, too.

Kakuzu grunted as he threw more kunai, aiming for the enemy. While throwing the kunai, he winced from the pain in his shoulder. Again, he worked through the pain and swung his sword towards Hashirama's neck as a fetal attempt to chop his head off. His shoulder stung but he could care less.

Blocking the kunai thrown at him, he saw the assailant trying to face him head on. Hashirama prolonged the attack and went on the offense, attempting to chop his left arm off. Instead, he managed to only slice through his left shoulder, but only to an extent.

Kakuzu growled from the pain. Great, now both of his shoulders have deep gashes. They even matched perfectly with one another, and so did the pain. In fact, it brought Kakuzu down to one knee. He was losing a lot of blood. That cut must have hit a vital vein or two. However, Hashirama wasn't going to let him die just yet.

Using his wood style, Hashirama trapped Kakuzu by allowing wooden vines to grow from the ground and grip his wrists. Now Kakuzu had no hope of escape. He was done for, or so he thought.

Next thing he knew, Hashirama used his medical ninjutsu to at least stop the bleeding, but that was the only sympathy he was going to show him. He wasn't going to seal those cuts at all. They would be scars to remind Kakuzu of this night. "Tell your superiors to think twice before sending their assassins to kill me, or you can just show them your scars. That should be enough to deliver the message."

Kakuzu couldn't believe this. Why was his enemy, of all people, showing him mercy? He never asked for it, in the first place, and he certainly didn't beg for it either. That's when he thought of that night with Hana.

* * *

**Flashback: Takigakure – June 6, 1948**

Hana slowly backed away and chuckled in fear while holding out one of those deformed treats she had baked, "Hey, you want some?" This was her way of trying to appease the clearly unnerved shinobi before her. Instead of taking her offer, Kakuzu smacked the pastry out of her hand and stepped on it as he approached her. Hana was even more terrified but instead of running, she put up her fists as her last line of defense. "You want some of this, huh?! You may be a giant but I'm not afraid of big bullies like you!"

Kakuzu just cocked a brow down at her as a response to that. He assumed she would just beg and scream for her life, but instead, this was how she reacts? Just to scare her a little, he gripped her by the throat and lifted her off of the ground. The grip wasn't supposed to be too tight, but then again, he didn't exactly know his own strength. Panicking, Hana dropped her basket and started kicking the air whilst clawing at his hand. She even drew a bit of blood. This made Kakuzu's left eye squint a bit, but he had dealt with worse pain. This was only a mere annoyance to him.

"So, are you going to start begging for your life yet?" Kakuzu asked, anticipating it. To his surprise, she didn't. Instead, she shot her leer towards him and kicked harder, finally landing a hit on his gut. Seeing the fire in her eyes, Kakuzu realized at that point that she was a fighter, too. This was the same girl who used her younger siblings as guilt trips for money? Perhaps she changed over the years. Who knows? Either way, he no longer had a reason to hate her.

"Good answer." That was all Kakuzu said before he let her down and walked passed her. He was late, anyways. He had to wash off the blood from the scratches on his hands and not only that. He also had to prepare for the mission tomorrow.

* * *

**Back to Present Time…**

It was a shame. Kakuzu actually admired that brat's spunk. Whoever killed her had to have survived with a few cuts and bruises. She clearly did not go down without putting up a fight, first.

Returning from his subconsciousness, Kakuzu glared up at Hashirama. Hashirama, on the other hand, simply returned the scowl and commented, "I would think you'd be happy to have your life spared."

"Hmph! Don't think that this changes anything! I'll keep coming after you, even if it means I have to—ugh!" Kakuzu howled from the stinging pain. He didn't realize it until now, but he had a third gash. It was located in the center of his midsection and ran straight down to his abdomen. Why didn't he notice it before? The pain from his shoulders must have distracted him from it. That was the only explanation he could think of. The blood was clotted from the medical ninjutsu, but the gash was still deep. "It looks like you're in no position to 'come after me' at this point. Go home and consider this as fair warning." Hashirama suggested before he left.

Kakuzu could only hiss from both the pain and his hatred. He'd return home for now, but he also planned to have his revenge soon enough. It was one thing to injure him, but to insult him with such pity was unforgivable. Now it was his turn to give Hashirama a bit of advice, "You're a fool, Hokage! Leaving your fights unsettled will be your greatest mistake!" However, his enemy was long gone. He probably didn't even hear what he had to say. No matter, Kakuzu's main concern now was his failure. He knew that if the Village Elders ever found out about this disgrace, then surely there would be dire consequences.


End file.
